


The Mighty Fall

by imthetitanic



Series: Young Blood [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: BAMF Castiel, BAMF Gabriel, Canonical Character Death, Death, F/M, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I'm Going to Hell, I'm Sorry, Lots of awesomeness, Lots of it, M/M, Suicidal Thoughts, Torture, Triggers, What Have I Done, and death, and sadness, like i said, really sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-13
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-09 02:25:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4330263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imthetitanic/pseuds/imthetitanic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The final installment of the Young Blood series, this chronicles what happens to Dean, Sam, Cas, and the rest of them after the events of Alone Together. You do need to have read the other two works in the series to know what's going on. </p>
<p>Dean and Sam are being used in Lucifer's plot to make Cas loyal again, much to the anger of everyone else. Drama and pain ensue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is it! The last piece of the plot, in which questions are answered and explained. 
> 
> This chapter's triggers are torture and mentions of murder

"Castiel, you really need to stop making noise," Lucifer said as Dean's screams echoed through the room, followed by Sam screaming his older brother's name. Some things never changed.

Castiel winced, then went back to his starting place, glancing at his ex boyfriend bleeding on the table. Alastair Rolston was one of the best torturers Lucifer had ever worked with, and the things he was doing to Dean really ranked as a masterpiece. Especially with the psychological side effects it was having on his brother. 

Azazel wasn't in the room. He never was, not during a training session. His job came later. Aftercare. He was the one who told Dean what would be done to him the next day. He was the one who whispered to Sam that one of these days he would take the instruments from Alastair and cut into his older brother.

Castiel had not been told about this, nor of Alastair's suggestion that Lucifer force Dean to torture Sam. Lucifer liked that idea, but he didn't want to break Dean...he wanted to break Castiel. So he continued having Alastair do his thing for now.

Much to Lucifer's pleasure, Castiel was improving quickly and growing very loyal. He had taken the knife to Sam once. Soon, Lucifer would ask him to take the knife to Dean. When Castiel could do that without flinching, he would be ready, Dean and Sam could die, and everything would be the way it should be. 

Lucifer had informed his father of what was going on in the soundproofed basement, and his father had nodded and left the room, allowing Lucifer to truss Dean up the way he needed to and wait for the Rolston twins to arrive. And now? Now it had been a week. As of yet, there was no police interest and no questions directed at the Novaks...just the way Lucifer liked it.

One footfall, and Lucifer groaned. "Castiel. Back to start." Dean started screaming.

Usually there were no words that Lucifer could discern, but today he could hear one word. "Cas!" Over and over again, a broken record that stabbed Castiel right in the heart. 

Lucifer could see it on his face. His blue eyes filled with tears and he made a choked noise. Sam was yelling his brother's name, and Castiel looked between them before finally breaking and running over to Dean, shoving Alastair aside. "You bastard!" he yelled, glaring at Lucifer with death in his eyes.

Lucifer would brook no insubordination. He took long strides as he moved toward Castiel, and soon was able to grip his younger brother's shirt collar and shove him against the wall, pulling him away from Dean. "Listen closely to me, little brother. Next time you do that, Dean loses a finger. And you will be the one cutting it off and presenting it to me." Lucifer paused, pressing his lips firmly together and raising his eyebrows, waiting for an argument that didn't come. Instead, Castiel simply nodded. "Now, I think we're done for today. It is almost six, and we need to eat dinner."

Castiel's eyes softened slightly in response to that, and Lucifer knew it was due to relief. He wanted badly to shatter that relief and force Castiel to keep going, but her knew it wouldn't help. Besides, Lucifer was hungry. So he let them go upstairs, knowing the Rolston would take care of business below.

*****

Dean's screams echoed in Castiel's ears all through dinner. He had promised he would never leave, and so far he had been spending all day, every day possible, in the same room as Dean, but Dean was being tortured and it was all Castiel's fault.

If he hadn't killed John Winchester, none of this would have been set in motion, Dean would have turned 18, probably taken custody of Sam, and everything could have worked out. But no. Instead, Castiel had been rash and killed someone, and now everybody was suffering because of it. Castiel hated it.

He sighed, eating his dinner quickly, not listening to anything happening around him, then shoved his chair back and went up to his room. No one stopped him. Why would they? Training was over. Castiel waited until everyone was in bed before sneaking downstairs. He picked the lock on the basement door and went in, as he usually did at night anymore. He looked at Sam and Dean, who were sleeping, tied to the tables. They looked innocent when they slept, and generally didn't talk or move. Tonight, Sam was muttering in his sleep, saying the name 'Jess' over and over again.

Castiel thought for a moment, attaching the name to her face. Jessica Moore. And then an idea struck him. He needed to save Dean and Sam. Who better to help him than their loved ones? He hated dragging people into this,but what else was he supposed to do?

He resolved that he would talk to Jessica in the morning. He would have to hurry and get this pulled together or Christmas break would come and then people would always be home. It was bad enough that Azazel and Alastair were on break from school right now, but if the others were, Castiel would be on lockdown the entire time. As it was, Castiel could go to school. He could set a rescue in motion and just try to keep Dean safe until the cavalry arrived, right? 

He gazed at the two boys for a moment longer before leaving the room and locking the door behind him. He practically ran back upstairs and tried to get some sleep. He tossed and turned and cried a little. In other words, his few attempts at sleep were piiful, but eventually he managed to stay asleep. He had no dreams that night, just the echoes of screams in his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

Alastair wiped his knife on Dean's jeans and grinned. "I may be a psychology student, but taking someone apart is far more fun than putting him back together." He raised his eyebrows, and Dean shuddered. "Or her, I don't discriminate."

Dean bit back his impulse to snap at the man. He was the one who Dean really never should snap at. Alastair was the crazyone, he had come to realize over the course of the past few weeks. Azazel...he was pretty scary, but everything he did had a carefully thought out purpose. Alastair just liked causing pain.

For that reason, and that reason alone, Dean was glad he had been the one Alastair was assigned to. That way, Sam didn't have to go through Alastair's screwed up form of fun. Sure, Sammy had to hear Azazel's whispered words, and Dean could hear him crying himself to sleep at night, but at least Sam wasn't in danger of losing fingers. If that had to happen to anyone...it was going to happen to Dean, because if anything happened to Sam, everyone in the building would feel Dean's rage.

Dean laughed internally at that, but some of it must have shown on his face, because Alastair studied him carefully. "You've never laughed at one of my jokes before." Alastair set down his knife on the table and left the room.

Azazel entered shortly after Alastair left. Dean's chest was constricted with fear still. Alastair was going to keep thinking about Dean's motivations for laughing and take out his confusion on him tomorrow. Dean could feel it.

Azazel went to Sam's bed first, whispering things in his ears that made Sam whimper and sniffle and at one point he screamed the word "no," but Azazel slapped him and shut huim right up. Dean wished he knew what the bastard was saying to his little brother, but knew he was never going to know. As Azazel made his way across the room to where Dean was strapped down, he had the tiniest of a skip in his step.

"What did you say to my brother?" Dean growled fiercely. "What the hell did you say to him?"

"Don't you worry your little head about that. I'm here to make you an offer, and I think you'll find it a good one." Azazel smiled, and Dean fondly imagined punching the grin right off the bastard's face.

Instead, he rolled his eyes. He had always been able to get away with more with Azazel. His small ways of rebellion just amused that twin. "And what could that possibly be?"

Azazel's face grew deadly serious. "Tomorrow, you get to torture Sam."

"How is that a good offer?" Dean forgot to be sarcastic, but kept his voice low. He didn't want to frighten his little brother more than he had to.

Azazel pursed his lips. "Shall I rephrase? Tomorrow, you will torture Sam...or Alastair will."

Ice dropped into Dean's belly. Alastair would torture Sam? Dean couldn't let that happen...but somehow he thought that if he tortured Sam, it would damage him worse than if Alastair did. There was no way he could get away with going easy on his little brother. Alastair would definitely not go easy on his brother. "Let me sleep on it," he said, shoving as much confidence as he could into his voice. 

“All right,” Azazel said with a sadistic grin adorning his face. “I look forward to your answer.” And with that response, he went back over to Sam.

*****

Sam couldn’t help flinching when Azazel came over to him. He hadn’t quite lost hope yet, but he was definitely getting there. It had been a week, and no one had come for him, no one had even bothered to try to get him out. Not Ellen, not Bobby, even Cas had abandoned him. Cas didn’t even look at him when he was crying out.

Sam recognized how selfish it probably was to feel abandoned by Cas. After all, Dean was the one getting hurt, not Sam himself. He couldn’t blame Cas for caring more about Dean. Their bond was far more profound than the bond between Sam and Cas. Cas and Sam weren’t all that great of friends anyway.

“Thinking hard, Sammy?” Azazel asked. 

Sam corrected him on instinct. “Sam.”

“All right, Sam, then.” Azazel shot him a smile. “You know what Dean said?”

Sam tilted his head, not trusting his mouth to say the right words. 

"Dean said that he might torture you tomorrow. How does that sound?" Sam looked desperately at his brother, who was not looking at him at all. "Remember there's a way for you to avoid that?"

"If I hurt Dean." Sam's voice was sullen. The words had been drilled into him every day for a week. If he agreed to hurt Dean...set the example for Cas, is what Azazel had always said, though Sam wasn't entirely sure what he meant. Did Azazel want Cas to hurt Dean? If so...that wasn't going to happen. Even today, Cas had run to Dean's rescue. 

If it wasn't so terrifying, it would almost be amusing, the amount of work going into making Cas loyal. Wasn't Cas already loyal to the family? If he wasn't, Sam was sure he'd have tried to get Dean and Sam out of there by now. The fact that he hadn't hurt. "Show Cas how it's done, little Sammy."

With that, Azazel left, and Sam found himself dissolving into silent tears. He turned away from Dean so if his brother chose to look at him, he wouldn't see him cry. He couldn't let Dean see him cry.

But he couldn't help sneaking glances over at his brother. Had Azazel been lying? Had Dean really said that? He couldn't imagine his big brother saying something like that, but what if something worse was going to happen if he didn't? One of the times he glanced at Dean, he saw Dean's green eyes fixed on him.

"What did he say to you, Sammy?" Dean asked, sadness in his voice. 

It was true, Sam believed it right then. Dean hadn't asked what Azazel said to him since he was heard asking the first time. "Is it true?"

"Is what true?" Dean sounded tired, and Sam again knew it was true. He would sound confused. Dean would sound confused, not tired. 

Sam couldn't keep the choking lump out of his voice when he said, "Are you going to hurt me tomorrow?"

Dean didn't answer, instead turning his head to the side, confirming Sam's suspicions. Sam sobbed out loud. What the hell had happened to them?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for mentions of a suicide attempt, mentions of torture, and grieving. 
> 
> Sorry this took so long, guys, things started piling up on me with life and I hadn't been able to write this. I did manage an update on my other WIP, With Certainty (which is a trans!fem!Dean fic), and I decided that I really needed to work on this one. If you guys are still with me after the wait, you rock! (If not, you still rock but you aren't reading the ending so :( )

Castiel packed his school bag that Thursday morning with a growing sense of trepidation. If this went wrong, it could hurt a lot more people than just the Winchesters. But wasn’t that his job? Protect the Winchesters? With that mission in mind, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and marched out the door, skipping breakfast. He wouldn’t need it. He knew full well the danger of what he was doing, and knew that if he got caught, food would be the last thing on his mind. 

He was so afraid of being caught by Lucifer that he didn’t even confide to Gabriel what his plan was. Instead, he jogged down the road to school, backpack bouncing against him, and arrived with enough time to spare to find Jessica Moore. 

He wandered the hall, eventually making his way upstairs and seeing her going into the English room. Glancing around in the hallway for any known Novak spies (and seeing none), he ran up to her. “Jessica?”

She turned around, blue eyes widening. “Castiel? What are you doing up here?”

He swallowed. “Sam’s alive.” Her hands flew to her mouth for an instant before her eyes grew flinty and she grabbed Castiel by the shirt, dragging him to a corner of the hallway. Her mouth was tightened further than Castiel knew was possible. He opened his mouth to speak, but she held up a finger, effectively silencing him.

Keeping the finger up in the air, she said icily, “How long have you known that?” 

When she finally lowered her finger, Cas looked at the ground, thoroughly startled by Jessica’s display of anger and command. “Since he went missing.”

A resounding _crack_ echoed through the hallway, and it took a moment for Castiel to register that she had backhanded him. In a fierce whisper, she demanded, “And you didn’t tell anyone? You didn’t fucking tell Dean, or me or any of the counselors…they had grief counselors, here, Castiel. Grief. Counselors. Everyone thought he was dead.”

The slap had drawn the attention of a few people, but Castiel summoned an intimidating aura, the one he assumed to made his way through the hallway without incident, and they moved on. No teachers showed up, which was lucky. “I know, Jessica, they talked to me too. Will you just hear me out?” Castiel adopted a slightly pleading tone. Jessica gave him a curt nod and a single raised eyebrow.

He proceeded to explain the situation as briefly as he could, explained that the Singer-Harvelle’s had been threatened, Dean and Sam’s lives had both been threatened, and closed with, “and the police are in the palm of my brother’s hand, so we can’t call them.”

Jessica took all this relatively well, nodding a couple times during Castiel’s explaination and biting her lip. “Has Sam been hurt?”

“Not yet,” Castiel said, “but he might when I get home. Alastair finally gave Dean the offer to torture Sam in exchange for a day’s rest. If Dean doesn’t do it, Alastair will.”

“ _Fuck_.”Castiel was startled by Jess’s cursing, but he figured that if anyone was entitled to use profanity, she was. “I’m going to Bobby and Ellen, and don’t you dare try to stop me.” 

“I won’t try to stop you,” Castiel said earnestly. “I came to you so that you would organize the troops. I want them out of there.” When Jess looked slightly skeptical, Castiel continued, “I can’t go to Bobby and Ellen for help with this. I’d be punished…which means Dean and Sam would be hurt. You’re the only person at school I can trust with this.”

Jess nodded carefully. “I’ll go after school.” She turned and went into her English class, and Castiel looked after her, happy that he had finally been able to get help.

*****

Jess went through the day fairly quietly after Castiel’s revelation and her ensuing outrage. She felt like she was perfectly justified, however, considering that Castiel had kept something like that hidden from her. She had felt for two weeks as though she had been a driving force in the suicide of the boy she loved, and Castiel just traipsed back into her little world and turned it over.

Now her grieving was directed at the pain Sam was in. Though he hadn’t been hurt, physically, Jess knew how very attached to Dean he was, and seeing Dean get tortured every day was bound to take a toll on Sam’s mental health. Not to mention what would happen if Dean tortured him. Even if it was to save him from this Alastair guy, she knew Sam would not be able to handle it. He would handle Alastair better. 

All of this Jess knew, but she had no idea how she could possibly save the Winchester boys. It was lucky that she even knew how to get to the Singer-Harvelle house, honestly. She hopped on her bike once she left school and started riding. It was kind of a long ride, but saving Sam and Dean was worth it. 

She reached the house, slightly out of breath, and jumped off her bike, letting it fall to the ground behind her as she ran up the front steps and knocked on the door. She willed tears to come to her eyes. If they were really in danger, she would have to get them out of the house. What better than a mourning girlfriend wanting to talk to her late boyfriend’s almost-parents, maybe go out somewhere with them?

When Ellen opened the door, she took in the sight of Jess’s teary face and pulled her into a crushing hug, during which Jess whispered, “I’m fine, but your house might be bugged and I need to talk to you.” 

Ellen pulled away and called, “Bobby, let’s take this girl out for dinner!” 

Bobby came clumping downstairs and looked at Jess. Ellen gave him a look that Jess couldn’t decipher, but he raised an eyebrow and nodded. “All right, let’s do that, then.”

Jess followed Bobby and Ellen out the door and loaded her bike into the back of Bobby’s truck. She hadn’t called her mom, so she used the time in the car to do so. Her mom picked up quickly, and said, “Jessica, where in God’s name are you? You were supposed to come right home after school.”

“I know, Mom, I’m sorry. I just,” Jess threw in a sniffle for effect, “I went to go see Bobby and Ellen.”

And just like that, her mother’s angry tone faded into an apologetic, careful one. “All right, then, I guess. Just be back by seven. And next time call me if you’re going to be somewhere. I was worried.”

Jess sighed. “All right, Mom. I’ll be home by seven. Sorry I didn’t call.”

“It’s all right, dear. Love you.”

“Love you too. Bye.”

“Bye.” 

Jess hung up the phone after her mother said that and looked into the front seat, where Bobby and Ellen sat in silence, not questioning her for information she wasn’t yet able to share. 

After a few minute ride into town, Bobby pulled into a local diner and they all got out of the truck. All three ordered hamburgers when the waitress came to serve them, and when she was gone, the older couple turned a questioning eye on Jess, who launched into her story, beginning with, “So apparently Sam is alive…and so is Dean.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought of that!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for mentions of torture. 
> 
> Sorry this took so long...College is a bitch sometimes. Thank you for waiting and I hope you enjoy.

Ellen listened, enraptured, to Jess’s story. She didn’t interrupt, and neither did Bobby, no matter how much either of them may have wanted to. Jess finished with a desperate, “And we need to save them!”

Ellen looked around quickly to make sure no one’s attention had been drawn to the nearly hysterical teenager in front of them. “You’re telling us,” she said in a low voice, “that the Novaks are torturing our kids?”

Before Jess could respond, Bobby said, “Cas told you all this.” It wasn’t a question, not like Ellen’s statement had been. 

Jess nodded at Bobby before turning to Ellen. “Lucifer is torturing Sam and Dean. He isn’t even the one doing it. And none of this is Castiel’s fault.” She seemed to be startled by her own vehemence. “He came to me with this because he had no idea what to do. So don’t put the blame on him.”

Ellen nodded thoughtfully. “We need help. Cas told you this so you could rally people, right?” When Jess nodded, Ellen continued, “I should call Jody.”

Jess shook her head. “No!” Ellen raised an eyebrow. “Cas said Lucifer has the police in his pocket, and that we can’t go to them.”

_Crap._ Ellen sat back in her chair, frowning heavily. “What could he possibly have on Jody?” Ellen wasn’t expecting an answer, so she was startled when her husband spoke up.

Bobby had a horrified look on his face. “What if they have Sean and Owen? Jody wouldn’t do anything to get those two hurt.” 

“ _Crap._ ” Ellen cringed at the thought. Owen was so young. He probably had no idea what was going on…and Sean. She hadn’t even tried to talk to Sean in months. For all she knew, Sean could have been missing all this time, and never been reported for fear of his death. Or worse. “That would be extremely bad.”

Jess didn’t look like she was following at all, and Bobby took it upon himself to explain to her the blackmail Jody Mills might be under. “We think the Novaks have her husband and son. That would be how she is in their pocket deep enough to keep torture a secret.” Jess nodded, eyes widening, but said nothing. “Ellen, we need to get in touch with her.”

“How?” Ellen sighed. “If they have our house bugged, they almost certainly have hers. Not to mention her phones. How much are you willing to bet that her phones are tapped?”

Bobby frowned. “Not the boys’ lives. We should take her out to dinner sometime. We’re her friends, that seems perfectly normal.”

Ellen nodded. “Good plan.” She turned to Jess, who had kept quiet through all of this scheming. “Is there an adult at school you trust?”

Jess bit her lip. “Honestly? Miss Bradbury. She’s smart and discreet.” 

Miss Bradbury… “Charlie Bradbury?” The name sounded vaguely familiar. A face swam before her eyes, and she recognized it. “Dear God. Jess, I need your phone.”

Jess handed it over immediately. Ellen tapped the screen and pulled up the school website, then took the picture they had for Charlie Bradbury, pasted it into a google search, and widened her eyes at the results. Charlie Bradbury was Celeste Middleton. “What is it?” Jess asked, a fearful tone creeping into her voice.

“Your computer teacher is an international criminal, wanted by Interpol, the FBI, and several other organizations. Oh, but she’s clever.” Ellen was impressed by the mastery behind the name change. “The only thing that is similar is the face. She cut her hair, dyed it red. Thank God for facial recognition.” Google wasn’t generally good at that, but if you scroll enough, you’ll find what you’re looking for.

Jess had drawn in a sharp breath. “Miss Bradbury? A criminal?”

Ellen was digging deep into archives, looking for any record of who Miss Bradbury might be working for. She found information on one Dorothy Baum, her partner, and followed that trail. Dorothy’s apparent murder had never had an investigation come to fruition. But there was a common thread. Someone called Nick seemed to have been in charge of the crime that seemed to be Celeste and Dorothy’s last. 

Nick. Ellen closed her eyes, tried to let threads come together in her mind, but there was a block. She hadn’t heard the name Nick in ages, not since she was watching the news a long time ago. Nick had been in charge of a hacking operation, of which she didn’t remember the details. He had never been put on trial, but his face had been briefly on the news. Blonde, roundish face. He looked familiar. That’s when Ellen started to think about the name. Nick. Of course that would be an alias, and wouldn’t it be just perfect…Old Nick. A nickname for Lucifer.

“She was working for the Novaks.” Ellen could say this with near certainty. “But she isn’t anymore, as is evidenced by her name change.” Jess was visibly startled, as was Bobby. “Jess, I need you to contact your teacher and get help from her. We need a mission control, and she is capable and trustworthy.”

“If she’s an international criminal, how do we know she’s trustworthy?” Bobby asked. “For all we know, she could be working for an uncontrollable third party. I say we go in alone…maybe with Jody, but only if we can guarantee her family’s safety. We don’t need another variable.”

Jess nodded. “I honestly agree with Bobby. If Miss Bradbury used to work for the Novaks, what makes you think she’d betray them?”

“She isn’t in custody. She has already betrayed them. She might do it to ensure her own safety.” Ellen sighed, thinking of how manipulative she would have to be to get this person on their side. “We need to tell her that the Novaks are on her trail.”

“That’s a lie.” Jess looked at Ellen askance. “Do we really need her that badly?”

Ellen nodded. “We really do. I’m sorry, but we really need her.”

Jess nodded, dialing the phone. “I have her number programmed. Assuming she’s still in her room, which is not really a valid assumption.” After a few moments, Jess’s eyes widened. “Miss Bradbury? Jessica Moore…from your computer class? I need your help. Can we meet tomorrow during lunch? Awesome, thank you. Bye.” Jess hung up the phone with a pointed stare at Ellen, then turned her eyes on Bobby. “I’m about to lie through my teeth to my computer teacher, so this had better work.”

Ellen smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, Jess. This is necessary. I’m going to meet with Jody for lunch tomorrow and confirm our suspicions. I hope she can join us…we could really use the extra person to help out.”

Jess nodded. “I trust you two. You love them.” Tears were swimming in her eyes, and Ellen suppressed her maternal instinct to lean forward and wipe them away. Instead, she glanced at her watch.

It was nearly seven. “We do, Jess. We really do. But we need to get you home. Call us and let us know. If this is happening, we will meet down the road from the Novak house at 6 o’clock Saturday night.”

“What about Sunday morning at 10?” Jess suggested, catching Ellen off guard.

Ellen thought about this for a moment before breaking out into a smile. “They’re religious.”

“Castiel is, I believe, and from their names, I assume all of them go.” Jess shrugged. “Is that what I should tell Miss Bradbury?”

Ellen thought about this, then realized something was very wrong with that plan. “Azazel and Alistair are planning something for today, remember? We need to get there now.” By some unspoken agreement, Ellen dialed Jody’s number and Jess dialed Miss Bradbury’s, throwing caution to the wind. They needed this rescue to happen now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think of this, guys!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for mentions of torture and death, traumatic flashbacks, and threats.

This was the second time Charlie’s phone had rung after hours…very after hours…that day. What had suddenly made her so popular? Warily, she picked up her phone. “Charlie Bradbury.”

The voice on the other end was familiar and struck worry into Charlie’s heart. Jessica Moore, this time frantic, had called her again. “Miss Bradbury, we really need your help. Dean and Sam Winchester are in danger.”

Charlie didn’t even ask, though she thought Sam was already dead, considering how long ago he vanished. They had had grief counselors on campus and everything. “What kind of danger?” she asked, humoring the girl.

“The Novaks have them.” Those four words sent chills up Charlie’s spine. Damn it, she had gotten out. She had escaped all of that, become a teacher at a high school, had taught a Novak without him figuring it out. Granted, he was the youngest one, and couldn’t have been much involved in the operation that had gotten Dorothy killed.

She swallowed, shaking her head to clear the image of Dorothy’s throat being cut while Charlie leapt out the open window. Pains shot up her leg from where her ankle had broken. “The Novaks?” she asked, feigning ignorance.

She could hear the hardening in the girl’s voice when she answered. “They are being tortured, and I know the Novaks are coming after you, too, so you might want to take this seriously, Miss Middleton.” 

Charlie reached over slowly to the phone and halted the recording of the conversation, an automatic setting that allowed the school, and potentially the Novaks, to listen in on her conversations. “How did you find that name?”

“A Google search,” was the deliberate reply. “Just a Google search. Jeez, for a hacker you’re really off your game, aren’t you?” 

Charlie let out a shaking breath. She would have to change her name again. Move again. Cut her hair short. She wouldn’t dye it again…she had grown to love her red hair. Besides, it had taken a while for anyone to catch up with her in the first place. And, if she moved far enough, the Novaks wouldn’t be anywhere near her. It wasn’t like she was wanted by any official agency. Just a crime family. No big deal. 

“Miss Bradbury?” Jessica said, her voice crackling through the phone and snapping Charlie out of her thoughts and escape plans. 

“Listen, I can’t really help,” Charlie said, frowning as she did. “Why don’t you call the police?”

“Because they’re in the Novaks’ pocket!” Jessica exclaimed, though she kept her voice low. Charlie deduced she was in a public place from this action. “Miss Bradbury, I just need your help monitoring the rescue. We won’t be anywhere near the Novaks. You’ll still be safe.”

“When?” Charlie asked with a sigh. Jessica wasn’t going to take no for an answer, she realized, so she gave in. 

“I’ll be at the school in a couple hours, since you’re obviously there, and I will bring the equipment.” Jessica sounded so confident that Charlie hated to burst her bubble. 

She sighed. “Where are you? I could come pick you up and take you to my house. I’ve got stuff set up in the basement.”

“Well, right now I’m with the Singer-Harvelles at a restaurant. We could meet somewhere, because the two of them and maybe someone else are going to need communication things.” Charlie suppressed a chuckle at Jessica’s phrasing.

She thought about it for a moment, then said, “Okay. Well, I have cameras and mikes at my house, so I can go pick those up and bring them to you guys. How many do you need?”

There was a pause and a muffled conversation on the other end of the line that Charlie couldn’t quite make out. Jessica came back quickly with, “Three, assuming the other person comes through. Ellen is on the phone with her now.”

Charlie nodded to herself. Three people…she was fairly certain she had enough working button cams and earpieces, though she wasn’t positive. “All right, I’ll run home, get the equipment set up, and meet you at the restaurant. Where are you at?”

“That place on Phillips…JL?” 

“I know the place. I’ll be there in a bit. Eat slow.” Charlie hung up before Jessica could respond to this and rested her head on her hands for a moment. What had she gotten herself into?

*****

Lucifer entered the room in which Gabriel was monitoring communications between watched individuals as Castiel left. He didn’t really allow himself to worry about what they were talking about. Gabriel was loyal, and Castiel wasn’t about to get Gabriel to betray him. Especially not tonight. Castiel had a small idea of what the Rolston twins were going to do to the boys downstairs, and should be on excellent behavior all day.

He had an odd skip in his step, though, that Lucifer nearly unconsciously catalogued. He shook his head and said, “Gabriel, what news?”

Gabriel held up a finger, his hand over one of his ears so he could hear better. Lucifer waited patiently until Gabriel finally curled the finger once more and removed his headphones.

“Middleton is planning on rescuing the Winchesters,” he said. 

“When?” Lucifer demanded. Damn it, not tonight. This wasn’t the time for a rescue mission to happen. 

Gabriel sighed. “Tonight. She and Sam’s girlfriend are going to be at her house monitoring a search and rescue remotely.”

Lucifer smiled. “Good. It’s time I paid her a visit. Too bad the girl will be in the way. I don’t like unnecessary loss of life.” If he left tonight, that would leave Gabriel, Michael, Alastair, and Azazel to guard the Winchesters. He’d have to get one of them to knock Castiel out and tie him up somewhere while he was gone. 

He wished Lilith was around, but she was busy guarding their leverage over Sheriff Jody Mills, and the other girls were with her. He could bring them back here, but Sean was a capable guy, so he decided to leave the girls there. The four already there would do. His father, too, was gone. Business trip to Wyoming, of all places. Something to do with a security system.

He went upstairs, not saying another word more to Gabriel, who hadn’t responded to his original statement, instead putting the headphones back on. He went to his room and grabbed his long knife, a gun, lighter fluid, and his lighter. Time to pay Celeste Middleton, aka Charlie Bradbury, a nice, violent visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought! And maybe predictions? I love predictions :D


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm putting triggers in the end notes to avoid spoilers. If you need warnings, please check. Love you guys!

It was strange to have the amount of electronic equipment on that Bobby Singer and his wife did right now. Jody seemed fairly all right with it, but then again she was the sheriff and probably needed electronic equipment in her ears, on her jacket, and a couple other places on a more regular basis. 

Bradbury had gotten everyone set up well, then gone back to her place with Jess. Bobby hoped to hell they were watching. They were in Bobby’s truck, but the plan was to go back to the salvage yard and get a car that wasn’t as recognizable to someone who watched them as much as the Novaks ostensibly did. 

The vehicle switch went quickly, and now Bobby decided it was a good time to contact Bradbury and Jess. “You listening?” he asked. 

_We hear you. And we see the salvage yard. Are you about ready to move?_ The voice was Jess’s, crackling into Bobby’s ear, and, he assumed, everyone else’s. They had all been quiet on the drive, not testing anything until they were ready otherwise. 

“Yeah, we’re moving,” Ellen said, and Bobby heard it echo in his ear. They could all communicate with each other…that was nice.

_Remember, this is get in, get out. Try not to engage the Novaks._ This time it was Bradbury’s voice coming through. 

“We hear you,” said Jody. “In and out.” Her face was strained, Bobby noted. He knew she had a lot riding on the success and the secrecy of this. On the phone with Ellen, she had hinted at the safety of her family more than once. Everything was coded, of course, but Ellen was quick enough to pick up on the code and translate everything later. 

“Let’s go,” Bobby said, leading the way to the old blue car. Dean had used this car while the Impala was being repaired, and the Singer-Harvelles had found it fitting to use it to rescue him. The car was common enough, if old, that it wouldn’t attract much attention going down the street. 

Radio silence. Bobby took that as agreement and started driving. It didn’t take long to find the residence. The windows were curtained, but there was light behind them. They drove past the house, parking around the corner, and started walking back toward the house. 

The look on Ellen’s face was frankly terrifying, and if Bobby was a Novak, he’d get the hell out of her way before she broke his neck just by glaring at him. They went around back. The door was locked, and Jody quickly picked the lock. 

They were inside.

*****

_You listening?_ Bobby’s voice came through the headphones Jess was wearing. She looked at Charlie, who was staring at the screens. They were at the salvage yard, changing cars.

Jess pushed the button that would let her be heard by all of them and said, “We hear you. And we see the salvage yard. Are you about ready to move?” 

_Yeah, we’re moving._ This time it was Ellen who spoke. 

Charlie leaned across and pressed the button this time. “Remember, this is get in, get out. Try not to engage the Novaks.” Her face was pale, and Jess suddenly felt bad about dragging her into this. But without her, they wouldn’t even have gotten this far. The conflict in Jess’s voice just stressed her out more. She didn’t need that.

Jody responded, _We hear you. In and out._

Bobby said, _Let’s go._

The cameras followed their car ride and their walk. Jess and Charlie watched as the trio picked the lock on the Novak residence and went inside. They were walking down a hallway when a real voice sounded behind them.

“Your little group got pretty far. I hope you’re proud of them, since that’s as far as they’re going to get.”

Jess glanced at the screen and watched as Jody answered her ringing phone. She removed the headphones and turned to face Lucifer Novak. “Why did you take them?”

Lucifer shrugged. “Personal reasons. Now, I will offer you a single chance to get the hell out of here.”

Jess and Charlie shared a glance. “I’m not leaving her with you,” Jess said, voice slightly trembling. 

Charlie stared at her. “Get out of here,” she said, pulling a knife from her belt. Jess hadn’t even realized she was carrying one. She wondered why it wasn’t a gun. Wouldn’t it be better to have a gun?

Lucifer proved her point by pulling a gun and pointing it at them. “Knife down.” Charlie’s eyes were steel. Jess’s legs were jelly. “Knife. Down.”

Charlie shook her head. Lucifer shrugged and shifted his aim. Jess didn’t realize he had shot (silencer, the rational part of her brain informed her) until she felt a burning in her stomach. She screamed and crumpled. Through the haze of pain she watched as Charlie dropped the knife. 

Lucifer moved forward and kneed Charlie in the stomach, picked up the knife, and stabbed deep into her abdomen. He twisted the knife swiftly, and Charlie went down next to Jess. Lucifer crouched next to them. He opened his mouth to say something, but Jess didn’t let him speak. 

The pain was nearly debilitating, but she launched herself off the ground, tackling Lucifer and punching him square in the nose. There was a crunch under her fist, and she reeled back for another punch, but Lucifer grabbed her hand and twisted her arm behind her, forcing her to her knees. 

He drew the knife across her upper throat and let her fall. She was still alive, still seeing what was happening as Lucifer covered both Charlie and herself with some sort of fluid (was that gasoline?) and lit a match. 

Jess couldn’t scream. She wanted to scream. She needed to scream. Every time she tried, blood started gushing from her neck again. She stopped trying as the match fell and flame burst into being. She felt it lick against her and closed her eyes, screaming out her blood. Charlie wasn’t crying out. Was Charlie dead? She hazarded a glance, but the firelight was blinding and she could feel it on her skin. She could feel it in her skin. Oh God, why was she dying like this? Make it stop. Make it—make…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGERS: Fire, Graphic Burning, Knives, Blood, Stomach Wounds, Guns, Death.
> 
> Let me know what you thought?


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Triggers: Torture and death and suicidal thoughts. 
> 
> Thanks for sticking with this, guys :) We are nearing the end.

Ellen had tried speaking into her mike when she stopped hearing from Jess and Bradbury, but she got no response. That was five minutes ago. “Something’s happened,” she said, pulling the microphone out of her ear and stomping on it. 

Bobby followed suit, but Jody was still on the phone. Ellen glared at her. “Jody, come on, we have to get moving.”

Jody hung up the phone and turned to look at Ellen and Bobby. “I’m sorry,” she said, pulling her handgun out of her holster. Her eyes were rimmed in red, and there were tear tracks on her cheeks. “I’m so sorry.”

She pointed the gun at Ellen. The _click_ of the safety being removed echoed in the still strangely empty house. Ellen drew her own gun, but Jody squeezed the trigger. Ellen staggered back a step, fully expecting to be hit by the bullet, but Bobby threw himself in front of her, falling to the ground on the other side. 

Ellen fired a single shot, and Jody fell to the ground, clutching at her right shoulder, the gun fallen at her side. Ellen ran over, kicked the gun away, and then knelt beside Bobby. He had taken the bullet in the chest, but he was still breathing. 

That is, until another gunshot was fired and Ellen watched blood spray from her husband’s forehead as she held him. Another gunshot, and Jody screamed, a sound that was cut off by one more shot. Ellen looked behind her, where Lucifer was standing, gun in hand. 

She raised her gun and fired off a shot, but she missed. Lucifer had the gun trained on her head, but he wasn’t firing. “I don’t like unnecessary loss of life,” he said simply, “but I have no qualms about killing you.”

Ellen laughed. “Then do it.” Lucifer Novak was here, she had lost Bobby, Jody, and now her boys. The thought that Lucifer might be about to end her existence was, frankly, quite welcome. Nonetheless, she stood, keeping the gun pointed at the man standing in front of her. 

Lucifer shrugged, and off came the safety. Ellen was prepared to die. 

The gunshot was loud, and Ellen fell sideways. She looked up, not feeling any pain in her chest, knowing she hadn’t been shot in the head, and saw another Novak standing above her with a pistol and a knife. 

This one was short with blonde hair, and he stood protectively over her. “Lucifer.”

“Gabriel, what are you doing?” Lucifer looked genuinely confused, and Ellen assumed this was the first time this Gabriel had done something like this to halt his brother’s action. 

The man just smiled. “Look at what you’re doing to the Winchesters. Have you even thought about them at all?” Lucifer said nothing. “Listen, Luci. You’re my brother, and I love you.” Lucifer again said nothing. “But you are a great big bag of dicks.”

With that, Gabriel fired off a shot, which hit Lucifer in the shoulder. “They don’t deserve this, Luci.” Another shot. The other shoulder. Gabriel knelt beside his brother where he had fallen and made to stab him or slit his throat or something of the sort, but Lucifer grabbed the knife from him. 

Another man walked into the room and ran over, but he was either too late or just in time, as Gabriel screamed, blade protruding out of his neck. The dark-haired man who had just entered disarmed Lucifer and stabbed him as well. He looked at Ellen where she lay and said simply, “Let’s find those boys.” If his voice cracked…Ellen didn’t acknowledge it.

*****

Lilith watched the entire scene play out on the screen in front of her, taking pleasure in the horrified gasps of the man sitting tied up in the chair next to her. She was a kind soul: the child was not facing a screen. He could still hear his mother’s agonized scream and the gunshot that cut it off, but he didn’t see the blood spurting out of her.

The man on the other hand…well, he was in tears. Shaking, heaving tears and sobs. Lilith glared at Sean Mills. “I do hope you can pull yourself together by the time I get back downstairs.”

He glared up at her. “Fuck off.” 

Lilith simply raised an eyebrow and turned to leave the room. She glanced back through the door as she left. “Don’t swear in front of children,” she said, smiling sweetly, before climbing the stairs to her room. 

She swiftly changed into a white dress, knowing this was the last time she would ever carry out an order from the Master. At the same time, she knew she wasn’t strictly obeying the Master. Mills had tried to kill the Singer-Harvelles, but she had failed. 

That was not technically grounds to kill the husband and son, but honestly, Lilith hadn’t been able to make someone scream in a long time. Crowley hadn’t given her the satisfaction. The Mills family would, if their female figure was anything to go by. 

She slipped her white and turquoise switchblade into the pocket Ruby had sown into her dress and went back downstairs. Sean Mills had indeed calmed down quite a bit. The son was crying still. Lilith made her way over to the closet and opened the door. The son could see every action she took. 

She pulled the blindfold and earplugs off a shelf and put them onto the son. He didn’t need to know what was coming. Lilith had limits, after all. She went to the closet again and grabbed her ball gag…damn, she was going to have to disinfect all of this before Ruby came over again. 

She shoved it into Sean Mills’ mouth and tightened the strap behind his head. He could still scream, but he couldn’t mouth off, and that was the way Lilith liked it. 

She pulled the switchblade out of her pocket and cut his shirt off, running the knife up and down his chest gently before carving her designs. She cut his name into his chest, listening to his helpless cries. The son was crying too, but she didn’t know if it was because he could hear or whether he was just scared. 

Lilith started nicking major arteries to let some blood start spurting. This wasn’t worth it unless she ended up with a blood-spattered dress. She hadn’t gotten that last time. His screams echoed in her ears as the blood flowed. She pressed a kiss against the gag. He was still struggling. 

Finally, she decided to put him out of his misery and slashed deep across his neck, hitting his windpipe. She spun around in the spraying blood, trying to get an even splatter, before the blood stopped spurting with his screams and he went limp. 

She didn’t want to hurt the child like this. Torturing adults was fun, but torturing children was cruel. She loved children too much to do that. Instead, she knelt in front of the still blindfolded child and cut diagonally across his femoral artery. He sobbed once, twice, then was still. 

Lilith removed her restraints from them and pulled her dress off over her head. Totally naked, she brought the restraints to the downstairs sink and then went to take a shower. Blood was too sticky to let remain on her skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Triggers: mentions of torture and death
> 
> Thank you guys for sticking with this all the way until the end. I really appreciate the faith you had in this.

Michael led the way through the house, the woman behind him following cautiously, but placing far more trust in him than Michael would have imagined being given to him in this circumstance. He knew what was to be found downstairs. Nothing but blood and agony and torture. He needed to get those two out.

As they passed the staircase, Michael called up the empty stairs to a door he knew would be shut. “Castiel!” He kept moving, making note of the fact that he now had another follower. Castiel slunk along next to the woman. In the interest of fostering better communication, he said over his shoulder, “Name’s Michael.”

The woman paused before speaking. He didn’t grudge her the hesitation. “Ellen,” she finally said. She didn’t acknowledge the presence of Castiel, who hadn’t said anything. They all three went down the stairs, and that was when all hell broke loose.

*****

Dean had made eye contact with Sam exactly once and hadn’t broken it, even if Sam could see the fracturing happening in his brain through his eyes as the scalpel came down over and over again. Sam was hoarse from trying to scream through the gag, chin wet with drool, but his eyes were open and staring directly into his brother’s.

If he made a deep enough connection through those eyes, would the pain end?

Upstairs, he heard a commotion. Dean paused in his work and flinched when Azazel snapped, “Keep going.”

True to those orders, Dean kept up the pace of cuts until the light had left his eyes and Sam physically couldn’t scream anymore. No one was coming. The commotion was nothing. Sam was sure of it now. 

Or, was sure of it until the basement door was kicked down. For the first time in a very long time, Dean and Sam broke eye contact and stared as Michael Novak, followed by Ellen and Cas, barged through the door.

Michael raised a pistol and that was all the warning anyone got before the gunshot sounded and Azazel went down. Dean’s fist clenched tight around the scalpel he had been using, and he pulled his arms in close to himself. Sam started struggling against his bonds.

Alistair reminded Sam of his presence by wrapping long arms around his wrists from behind, but he had a scalpel protruding from his cheek within seconds. He recoiled and turned his bloodshot glare on Dean. He yanked out the scalpel, not pausing at the blood gushing from the new hole in his cheek, and started advancing. 

From his restrained position, Sam couldn’t see much of what was going on, but he heard another gunshot and felt a slight spatter of blood hit his cheek. Then Ellen was at his side, loosening the restraints enough for him to free himself. He removed the gag himself.

When he was able to sit up a little, ignoring the pain coming from all over, ignoring the few strips of flesh that were missing, ignoring the blood running down his bare torso, he saw Cas standing between Alistair and Dean, filled with a righteous, avenging fury that Sam hadn’t seen since the last time Dean had gone to school with bruises.

How far they had come.

Ellen placed gentle, yet firm, hands on his shoulders and pressed him down onto the slab he was sitting on. Michael Novak came to his side and deposited a first aid kit, which Ellen got to work with immediately. He heard screams and struggled to sit up again, but Ellen laid him back down. “Samuel Winchester, you stay put. You’re losing a lot of blood.”

Sam submitted to her will, but wondered in silence what was going on until a snap and an agonized cry made him sit bolt upright. But it wasn’t Dean. Alistair lay on the ground, leg twisted at an unnatural angle. Cas stood above him, gun in hand. Sam watched in wordless horror and relief as Cas fired a single shot into Alistair’s forehead.

It was over. They had won. 

Dean collapsed to the ground and Ellen forced Sam to lie down once again. He wished he could speak. He wished he could call out to his brother who probably needed him to do just that. He tried, but only a hoarse whisper would come out of his mouth. 

“Cas has him, Sam. Cas has him.” Sam shook his head, but that was painful, so he stopped. Maybe Cas was a good guy again, maybe he was just waiting for the opportunity to be able to hurt them again. Sam didn’t know. All Sam knew was that Alistair and Azazel were dead. They had another chance to make it out. Sam would see Jess again, sleep in his own bed, and go back to school just fine.

Dean would…Sam didn’t know what Dean would do. Rationally, he knew that what happened hadn’t been Dean’s fault, but he couldn’t separate the two. Even thinking about Dean caused the pain to flare up again, and even though he loved his brother, it was nearly impossible to think his name. 

So Sam didn’t think the name. Instead, he let Ellen minister to him, let himself be helped up, and hobbled his slow and painful way to the truck with her. He didn’t look at the bodies on the ground. He didn’t want to know. Hearing Dean wail in pain was enough for him. Whoever they were, they were people near and dear to their hearts. He wasn’t prepared to deal with that.

At least his brother was walking. They got loaded into the truck side by side. Sam instantly let himself fall on his brother, who tensed. Sam pulled himself up and leaned on the door instead, but then Dean leaned on him. He didn’t hit a sore spot, somehow, and they both fell asleep on the ride back to their house. They had survived. Cas had survived. Ellen was there to take care of them. 

Sam would see Bobby and Jess in the morning. He dreamed of their loving embrace the whole way home.

**_THE END_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it. That's the end. I might post another sequel, I might not, but for now, it's over. It was a wild ride, and I'm glad I was able to share this with all of you. Thank you for the feedback you have given me through this whole series!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think!!


End file.
